


Future

by Gentrix



Series: Chosen Peace [8]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - In Hushed Whispers, Earth meets Thedas, Gen, Military, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Redcliffe (Dragon Age), Secrets, Short, Solas is Fen'Harel (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25823980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gentrix/pseuds/Gentrix
Summary: In the quest, it was only seen that her chosen companions would be imprisoned in the dungeons but to her surprise, two more men joined Solas and Cassandra in captivity. The men had been imprisoned for less than six months and seemingly looks to be uninfected by the red lyrium crawling around the castle.What surprised her the most was what the men were wearing. Combat uniforms with badges stating that they were part of the United States military.How the fuck did they come here?
Relationships: Inquisitor & Cassandra Pentaghast, Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus, Inquisitor & Original Character(s), Inquisitor & Solas (Dragon Age)
Series: Chosen Peace [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841563
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1. Surprise

In the dungeons, Aerin had only expected Solas and Cassandra in the cells. She shouldn't have used the game as a prediction tool even if it was mostly correct. She was greeted with the sight of two soldiers imprisoned in cells opposite to Solas and Cassandra, still wearing their combat uniform, depicting that they were a part of the United States military. They remained silent as Dorian and her entered the area, amidst the shocked cries from her friends.

"You're alive!" a shocked Solas stepped back. "We saw you die!"

"You've returned to us! Can it be? Has Andraste given us another chance?" Cassandra whispers, remorse clear in her distorted voice. "Maker forgive me. I failed you. I failed everyone. The end must truly be upon us if the dead return to life."

Aerin shakes her head, holding back her tears. "Oh, Cass, Solas, you're infected, aren't you? I-Is there anything that I can do?"

"There's nothing you can do, Aerin," she gently says as she walks out of the cell. "I'll be with the Maker soon."

"I'm dying, _da'len_ , but it's alright."

Dorian cuts through the chatter, eager to return back to more pressing issues. "Alexius sent us forward in time, if we find him, we may be alive to return to the present."

"Go back in time?" Cassandra asks in disbelief, turning to look at Solas. "Does that mean we can ensure that this never happened?"

Solas vigorously nods his head. "Yes, they can return and obviate the events of the last year. It may not be too late."

"Who caused this?" Dorian questions.

"Alexius's master," the Seeker says. "After you died, we could not stop the Elder One from rising."

"He reigns the whole of Thedas, unchallenged by those who lived here." Solas continues on. "His minions assassinated Empress Celene and used the chaos to invade the South. The Elder One commands an army of demons. After you defeat Alexius, you must be prepared."

Cassandra whispers under her breath. "Nothing stopped them. Nothing."

"I shouldn't have acted like an idiot! I should've been there!" Aerin said, tears welling up as she took in their dying appearance. "I - "

Solas shakes his head. "You could not have done anything, da'len. With you here, there is hope to save this world. My life is yours."

"You're here now," Cassandra gives her a small smile. "That's all that matters now."

"Splendid!" Dorian claps. "Now, let's go! We have to find your Spymaster."

"Wait," Aerin says as she turns to look at the soldiers. "What about you? Would you like to assist us?"

One of them gave a grin. "Well, darling, I don't even know who you are, but sure! We'll need weapons. Preferably _our_ weapons."

"Are you sure, Herald?" Cassandra cautiously asks. "We don't even know these men."

Aerin gave them a grin. "They are a part of the United States military. Highly likely a part of the Special Forces."

"Special Forces?"

The soldier gave a chuckle, not acting as if it disturbed him that a native of Thedas knows about that information. "What gave it away? My badge?"

"No," she sent him a deadpanned look. "They wouldn't have sent an entire military force to a foreign world without having enough intelligence even if Earth is under sieged by foreign entities that had once only been a story. Chances are that they sent their best to try and infiltrate to garner intelligence for high command without risking the bulk of their troops."

"A native of this world wouldn't know that."

"If I died on Earth and was chosen to reincarnate into Thedas, would you believe me?"

"Miss," the soldier looks at her with a serious look on his face. "Earth is constantly being attacked by demons, people with abilities and a deformed man claiming himself to be a god. Why wouldn't I believe you with all that shit on Earth?"

She tilts her head. "Huh, good point. Let's go."

"Captain Brunts," the soldier introduced himself as he nudges the other soldier who had remained quiet. "That's Lieutenant Kane."

"Aerin of Clan Lavellan. That's Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, Lord Fen'Harel and Lord Dorian Pavus." she idly says, the harsh song of red lyrium seemed to echo in her mind. "I think you know what's our task?"

"Yes, miss, obtain your Spymaster, find the man who was responsible in sending you to the future and hopefully, send you back to your timeline to ensure none of this had ever happened." parroted Kane, finally speaking up.

"Good."

"I'm sorry," Cassandra struggles to speak up as Solas's mouth opens and closes in shock while Dorian seemingly acts as if it was an interesting agenda for the day. "You were dead. You used to be from their world. Then, you reincarnated in Thedas. Now, you're saying that Solas is Fen'harel?! Fen'harel as in your supposed elven god of betrayal?! AERIN LAVELLAN!"

"Oh shit."


	2. Hunt

"If you're from our world, you know who is responsible for this chaos," Brunts says to Aerin as the group moved through the dungeons quickly towards the imprisoned Nightingale, the revelation of Fen'harel being amongst them was easily forgotten when time was running out. "Who is responsible in tearing this world apart. Who is also trying to tear _ours_ apart."

Aerin gave the captain a look. "Yes."

"You didn't try to do anything about it?" Kane snides bitterly, his captain shooting him a glare. "Your companions suffered. We suffered. Our _world_ is suffering, again. After all, it was slowly recovering from the effects of the high death toll due to the pandemic before we were brought into this war. A war from a world many had thought was just fiction!"

She grabs Kane, slamming him against the stone-cold walls. "You don't think I know that?! I see their suffering right in front of my eyes. They're dying! They're infected with red lyrium! You don't think I know that Earth suffered? My family, my friends, my people, died from the disease! I _died_ from the disease in my own home, surrounded by memories of my deceased siblings and parents! So, _don't_ tell me that I don't know how our world suffered during the pandemic. You _lived_ , did you not? I did not. By the way, did you really think I had the slightest clue that Earth was going to be pulled into this? I didn't know! So, fuck you for - "

" _Da'len_ ," Solas gently pulls her away, cutting her off as he wiped her silent tears away and then turns to speak to the stunned lieutenant, the red eerie glow still present in his eyes. "Lieutenant, there's a reason why she may not have changed fate too much. Ancient elves were taught of the consequences of messing with time and fate. Change too much, she'll change the supposed timeline that she knows and that can bring much more deadlier consequences."

Brunt pulls Kane away and starts walking in front of the group, scolding the younger soldier in hushed whispers, once in a while, glancing at her with an apologetic look. Cassandra squeezes her shoulders gently before they continued to walk through the damp dungeon. Solas pulls her hand into his and they trekked with their hands held together, squeezing gently.

"I'm assuming that no one know about this, Herald," Dorian finally says, turning his head to look at Aerin.

She shakes her head. "No. It was a secret that I had decided to keep, in fear of being called a liar. I could've been blamed for not stopping the Conclave, for not stopping Anders, for anything that I had known from the stories I had read."

"I could've also killed you," Solas sadly sighs, ruffling her head. "A person who knows my true identity outside my circle of spies? I would've killed you even if you were just an innocent bystander in the middle of a chaotic world."

Cassandra shot a glare. "Would you?"

"For the sake of my people?" he bitterly smiles. "Yes. Even if I had grown fond of her."

She only sighs. "I hope you won't, Solas. I don't like to think about Varric, Aerin and I fighting against you."

"I hope so, Seeker."

Dorian solemnly says. "I won't say anything, Herald. You have my word."

"Thank you, Dorian," Aerin smiles.

Suddenly, they heard a scream and a man laughing, relishing in the pain he had inflicted towards his victim.

"How did Lavellan know about the sacrifice in the Temple? Answer!"

A familiar voice spat out. "Never!"

"Leliana!" Aerin whimpers and races towards the door, barging in, stunning the man.

"I will die before I break!" the Nightingale hisses in glee. "But you'll die before you see that day!"

Leliana strangles the man using her legs before breaking his neck, staring at Aerin in disbelief. "You're alive!"

"Oh, Leliana," Aerin cried out, unlocking her from her chains. "I'm so sorry!"

She only laughs, a bitter one as it echoed around her torture chambers. "You died. An apology is unnecessary."

"I could've stopped this! I could've avoided the magical blast! I could've done _something_!"

"You're here now. That's all that matters," she only says as she grabbed a blade from a nearby table and sank it deep into her torturer's eyes. "Let's go."

Dorian stares at her in surprise. "You're not going to ask how we got here?"

"No," she says. "Aerin entrusted me with one of her secrets even if it doesn't answer all of my questions. Aerin, I sank your items into the sea as you requested before the Elder One finds it. He will never find it. Only the Lion, the Diplomat and the Scout knows."

"Thank you, Leliana," Aerin could only say, the guilt heavily weighting on her. "I - uh, let's just go."

Leliana grabs her shoulders roughly, forcing the young woman to look into her torture Spymaster's eyes. "Your apology is unnecessary, Herald. A thousand apologies can never take back the pain I endured. But, promise me, Herald, that you will answer my questions soon."

"I will, Leliana," she vowed.

The Nightingale released the Herald from her tight grip, grabbing a quiver full of arrows and a bow from a silent Captain Brunts, armed with his own weapons from a chest he had found in a nearby locked office, seemingly being experimented on but was soon forgotten. A deadly smile graced the Orlesian bard's once beautiful features, now scarred due to the torture she had endured.

"Come, Lady Herald, we have a Magister to _hunt_."


	3. Sacrifice

She couldn't stop herself stomping towards the cowering magister, rage fueling through her veins as she decked the man, punching him again and again to the floor. Dorian only stood there, not stopping her as she continued exacting her revenge against the man responsible for the deaths of her friends. She can still see hear the explosions emitting from outside the door, gunfire clear through the thick walls as their enemies screeched in pain and anger. Then, the doors blew open wide and she sees her friends fighting to buy Dorian some time.

Lieutenant Kane falls first, gasping in pain as a large demonic creature grabbed him with its sharp talons, piercing the young soldier through his stomach before crudely ripping him apart into two, his body falling into the ground as Captain Brunts screamed his name, firing shot after shot towards his enemies, an arrow shaft clearly seen in his shoulder. She sees Cassandra becoming a desperate force of nature as Solas provided support, firing offensive spells towards any who dare came near the Seeker, ignoring the wounds on his torso and legs, his eyes glowing fiercely as he channeled his remaining ancient elvhen magic.

He howls in rage as an enemy manages to pierce the Seeker's stomach, Cassandra falls to the ground, dropping her shield as she stared at the enemy, accepting her inevitable death as the enemy sinks his sword deeper into her stomach, laughing as she could only lay there, hands on her wound as the man pulls his sword out. The wound gushes, blood quickly leaving her body as she turns her head to stare at Aerin through the broken door, a peaceful smile on her lips before she closes her eyes, passing on to her Maker's side.

Aerin falls to the ground, kneeling as she wailed, seeing one of her friends dead, sacrificing herself to buy Dorian some time. He could only squeeze her arm before continuing muttering under his breath, trying to fix the amulet.

She hears Solas screaming in grief and rage as he finally sees Cassandra fall, wild magical energy bursting through him as he seemed to constantly shift between forms, killing enemy after enemy in his wolf form or elven form, a wild force in the field. But he could only last for some time before he ran out of magic, his strength not quite what it used to be as he panted, desperately trying to free himself from a warrior who had grabbed him by the neck, choking him as he was lifted from the ground. She tries to run towards him but was held back by Dorian.

"If you move, we'll die!" he warns, grabbing her tightly with one hand as she could only stare at Solas.

Solas meets her eyes, his lips moving as she realized he was speaking to her. _Ir abelas, da'len. Fix my mistakes. Convince me._

The warrior crushes his neck, letting his body drop to the ground, spitting at the body as he continues forward, a sneer on his face. She wails again, trying to free herself from Dorian's grasp even though she knew it was for her own good. Then, she sees the last man standing in front of the broken doors, Brunts cackling as he faced the approaching army, his hands filled with grenades.

"I'll see all of you in hell!" he growls as he throws a grenade to the ground and the other sailing over the army, landing somewhere in the other area.

The grenades explode, making her flinch as the infrastructure around her starts to slowly break apart due to the force of the explosion, Brunts gone as a gaping hole was left at the area where the door had once stood. The first few lines of the army gone but many had still survived as they came through, screeching as Leliana brushes off the effects of the blast, releasing arrow after arrow, downing their enemies.

"Go!" she screams at Dorian and Aerin as an arrow unluckily pierces her shoulders, demons surrounding her as she fights them off before a soldier manages to grab her, arm tightly pressed against her neck.

Leliana gives a smile of relief as the amulet glows, finally working as it engulfs Dorian and Aerin, sending the two of them back to their original timeline. She couldn't stop herself stomping towards the cowering magister, rage fueling through her veins as she decked the man, punching him again and again to the floor. Dorian only stood there, not stopping her as she continued exacting her revenge against the man responsible for the deaths of her friends.

"Aerin!" Cassandra speaks up, a hand gently grabbing her bloody fists. "Stop."

She bitterly laughs. "Stop? No, he doesn't deserve to live. Not after what he has done."

"He hasn't done anything, da'len," Solas points out. "Yes, he attempted to kill you but you survived."

"He would've done it. He would've been responsible for your deaths! For Leliana! For Brunts! For Kane! For Cullen! For Josephine! Even Jim!"

"What?" the Seeker seems taken aback. "What happened? What did you see?"

She takes in a deep, shuddering breath. It was sensitive. "Not here, please. Someone take him before I punch him again."

"Huh, what a weird party. It reminds me a bit of my days with my wonderful wife though I don't remember any Tevinters in our travels," a familiar voice speaks up.

She turns to see the King of Ferelden, a boyish smile gracing his handsome face, decked in his ceremonial outfit. She curtsies, surprising some of those in the throne room, the lessons from Bann Trevelyan was drilled into her quite thoroughly but her blood was still boiling, her mind still trying to convince herself that her friends were still here. She winces as she realizes her minor wounds had not healed yet while her bruises ached underneath her worn out and bloody armor.

"Your Majesty, you're early. I'm just going to cut through the chase here. The Inquisition will offer the allies an alliance. You will not have to stay here in Redcliffe and the Arl can return back to home. Hopefully, the King will be fine with this,"

Alistair smiles. "I am, milady."

"Grand Enchanter Fiona, the Inquisition has also offered sanctuary to the remaining surviving templars who are being rallied underneath Ser Delrin Barris's command. Your mages will have to cooperate with them. No infighting is allowed. I will warn you once. Any rumors of fighting between mages and templars for any stupid reason that reached to my ears or was passed on by Sister Nightingale, I will yeet you all to the lake. Understand?"

Fiona only nods in confusion. "I understand, Lady Herald. We will accept your offer. You won't regret it."

"Okay," Aerin bows her head in acceptance. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Your Majesty, Grand Enchanter, I'm going to faint now."

And, she did, her vision turning dark as she felt hands grasping her body before she went unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aerin's just done with this world. She doesn't want to see that happening ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not American or part of the military even if my bloodline is filled with soldiers, so I'm not sure how this would work but yeah!
> 
> Also, it was not supposed to be like this but my brain was like, hey, what if, you do this shit? And, my heart was like, yes bitch.
> 
> So, excuse me for doing this train wreck ahaha.


End file.
